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Your relationship with your roommate can make or break your college experience

Now roommates don’t have to be best friends, but getting along and being able to somewhat understand each other is crucial. Here are some fun things you and your roommate can do together whether you have known each other forever or are trying to break the ice.

The fort my roommate and I made.

Build a fort in your room–My roommate and I did this earlier this year, and it was the greatest thing ever. Use extra blankets or the sheets on your bed if you have to, because let’s face it: we all know that forts are the coolest thing ever. We also watched a movie in the fort that night. It was fun to go back to our childhood for a weekend, and our room was definitely the place to be on our hall.

Go to the Varsity–If you haven’t discovered the Varsity yet, you need to go…NOW. It’s a great theater on Franklin Street where tickets are only $4 for regular shows. There are usually two movies running and they can vary from newer films to old movies. The Varsity also hosts game showings like the UNC vs. dook basketball game and has special events like the $20-all-you-can-eat-popcorn-and-drinks-while-watching-Gone with the Wind-Valentine’s Day special.

Wash dishes together–Now I know this may sound dumb, but hear me out. You and your roommate (usually) both contribute to the pile of dirty dishes. Instead of letting it pile up and leave one person doing dishes for an hour, come up with a time where you can wash dishes together. One person can wash while the other person dries. My roommate and I do this and it seems to make the process much faster.

Go out–I believe that everyone should go out at least once during their college years. You and your roommate can have fun getting ready together (I guess this mainly applies to women) and then go out. Just make sure that you are watching each other’s back so that you both make it home safely.

Join a new club–During the first few weeks of school, every club will have an interest meeting. Pick something that you and your roommate are both interested in but have never tried, and go to the meeting together. You might have just found the thing you will be most involved in during your time at Carolina.

Get on a bus and see where it takes you–The Chapel Hill Transit system is great. It will take you basically anywhere you want to go and it’s FREE! So one day when you are looking for an adventure, just get on a bus. You may find a part of town you didn’t even know existed. And don’t worry, all the buses are on a loop, so you’ll eventually make it back to campus.

Go to FallFest–FestFest is an annual celebration to kick-off the beginning of the school year. There are representatives from most clubs on campus as well as games, food and entertainment. You can sign up to learn more about activities on campus and maybe even sign up your roommate for something random while she isn’t looking.

Eat a meal together–Whether this is in a dining hall or a random restaurant on Franklin, go with just the two of you. Use this opportunity to get to know your roommate, her likes and dislikes, his pet peeves and class schedule. Remember that open communication through the year will make both of your lives easier.

Have a movie night–Order food from Tarheel Takeout and pick a movie to watch that you would both enjoy. It can be from Netflix or your own collection, but it will be a nice, quiet night for you and your roommate to share. If you don’t have Netflix and are tired of your collection, head to your community office to check the Enhancements available. You can also always invite suitemates or hallmates and make an event out of it.

A picture from the recipe of the brownies…ours didn’t look quite this nice.

Cook or bake–Every residence hall has at least one kitchen. Spend a night in with your roomie and cook something together. You can make an adventure out of it by finding a recipe online, buying the ingredients and creating it together. One of my hallmates and I baked Reese’s cheesecake brownies one night and we had a blast.